
[As the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering goes to Malaysia this quarter, we give
this interesting article telling of the wonderful opportunity of furthering the gospel
among the Mohammedans in that field, who are now susceptible to the teachings
of Christianity. Your offering will help to bring the light to those who are now
in darkness.]
THE ORIENT RETURNING TO CHRIST
L. 0. PATTISON
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W
HEN Jesus was born into this world, the Orient, in the person of the wise
men, began to pay Him reverence, and to lay before Him precious gifts of
gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Unheralded they came, and in like manner
they disappeared. Then for nineteen centuries the Orient seemed to have little
connection with Jesus. But now, to the surprise of the Occident, the Orient is
again beginning to Search for the Lowly One of Nazareth, and to lay before Him
the gift which to Him is the most precious of all—the heart.
In the Moslem world there are 250,000,000 people who chant their prayers and
bow at appointed times with their faces toward Mecca. There are more than twice
as many Mohammedans as there are people in the United States; and now they
are more open to Christianity than ever before. Followers of Mohammed will to-
day crowd meeting places and listen without prejudice to the message of hope and
salvation. This in itself is a miracle of the last days, and one is led to believe that
a most wonderful change has come over the Mohammedan mind. Leaders of
Islam are becoming interested in Christianity; the third angel's message appeals
to them.
The rays of the Sun of Righteousness are beginning to penetrate the gloom
that for centuries has enshrouded the teeming millions of Java. There are many
devout followers of Mohammed in this land, but the greater part are Mohamme-
dans in name only. They have ceased to observe the appointed hour of prayer.
They no longer take part in the yearly feast. This class of Mohammedans is
much more susceptible to the teachings of Christianity than the Islam of other
countries.
In education lies our great hope for these people. An awakening and a desire
for learning are seen among the middle class. Children attend European, Chris-
tian, or Mohammedan schools; it matters not which, just so they learn to read
and write. These schools are filled to their fullest capacity, and other children by
the hundreds and thousands remain without. They have knocked at the door and
asked entrance that they, too, might learn. But there is no room. "Not this
year; perhaps next year you can come," is the response. And so our schools,
though few, are filled with students.
The older people of the middle class were educated in schools where only the
Koran was taught. They are ahvays pondering over religion and are foremost in
religious discussions. But their sons and daughters are attending Christian
schools, not principally because the gospel is taught, but first of all because they
know that in these schools the teachers are interested in the right development of
character. And these students soon have a desire to become personally acquainted
with their teacher. Thus they are brought into the Sabbath school, with the re-
sult', that they accept the third angel's message.
In all there are about thirty-two thousand Christians who have been converted
front.
Islam. Many of these are followers of our faith. But when we consider the
reman
ing 35,000,000 who continue to accept Mohammed as God's prophet, we
feel the need of more spiritual power to hold up Him who said, "I, if I be lifted
up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." And so we are depending on you,
dea
-
brethren, this Thirteenth Sabbath, to make it possible for us to open more
schools, ,and to carry on a greater evangelistic work for the followers of Moham-
med here; in Java.
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